Wealthy UK businessman under investigation of bigamy for having a second wife in Thailand

Police in the UK have launched a bigamy investigation over claims that Peter Leonard, 54, a married businessman has a second family in Thailand. Despite photos of him appearing on Facebook with a woman who calls herself Jaija Leonard, the man denies the claims.

Leonard, who shares a £400,000 home in Bedfordshire with his wife Fiona Leonard, 49, told a UK newspaper that he was not married in Thailand, it was a simple case of a businessman having a girlfriend and a baby overseas. He told the paper “I have been assisting the police with their enquiries in order to quash these vicious, vile and untrue rumors that I am a bigamist, which I am not, I am not married in Thailand. When asked by a reporter how his wife felt about this situation he replied “as long as she is looked after I don’t think she cares”.

A spokesperson for the police in Bedfordshire said “a complaint has been received of bigamy, one person has presented themselves to the police at the station, but has not been arrested, the enquires are ongoing”.

Leonard reportedly met his wife while working at a country club, then seven years ago started dating former air stewardess Jaija and had a daughter with her. Photos have appeared of Facebook of the woman who is believe to be in her twenties, of the couple walking on the beach together and blowing out candles on a cake with a young girl.

Having more than one wife in the UK is illegal but prosecutions are rare. Between 1998 and 2009 the police in the UK investigated nearly 1,000 bigamy cases but only 200 were convicted of the crime.

Mr. Leonard and his wife reportedly married in 1984 and brought a detached home in Bedfordshire where a man who opened the door to reporters said that nobody was available for comment.